Self-releasing trap nest



Aug. 10,1926. Y I 1,595,551

A. H. MERRILL SELF RELEASING TRAP NEST Filed AAugust 19, 1925 Patente-ei Aug. 1Q, 19255.

UNITED f sTArss ,ALBERT H. MERRILL, GF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA'.

sEnF-RELEASING TRAP Nasr.v

Application filed August 19, 1925.

vThis invention relates to that type of trapA nest wherein fowls that enter the nest without laying therein may pass back into thel yard from which they enter.l but when a fowl lays an egg within the nest the weight of the egg or else the impact'thereof as it passes from the nest proper, controls an exit provided to conduct fowls that have laid to a separate enclosure, thus automat-ically separating the layers from the non-layers.

Thus far a trap nest of this character has not come into general use, apparently because the expense of manufacture has been too great. Lessening cost of manufacture without impairing durability and positiveness of operation is Van important object of this invention.

Other objects and advantageswill here'- inafter appear. Y

yReferring to the `accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device7 the cover being removed to show interior parts;.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal midsection, including the cover, on lineXZ--X2 of Fig. 1 showing position when not occupied by a fowl; Fig. 3 is a side elevation, part of the casing being broken away7 show* ing position of parts when a hen has laid an egg in the nest but has not yet gone out the exit; Fig. 4; is a transverse section on line X- t of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the nest proper on line X5-X5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of the egg-operated device.

Referring in detail to the drawings, with.- in an elongated casing 1 is a tilting member 2 the front portion of which is adapted at certaintimes to obstruct the door opening 3 sufficiently to prevent the passage of fowls therethroughk in either direction, but tending at all times to tilt down and allowa fowl to enter and pass to the nestV proper i which is located rearwardly ofthe pivotal support 5 of saidfmember 2. As the door opening 3 not only allows fowls to .enter the casing but to depart therefrom in case they donot lay this opening will often be termed the entrance-exit opening'or simply the entrance-exit.

Serial No. 51,153.

In lsaid door opening 3 is an auxiliary .door 6, preferably -a platepivoted or hinged to swing outwardly vfrom said door o ening on'a horizontal axis as indicate in dotted linesin Fig. 2. Said door 6 normally rests upon a stop7 at al downward and forward. inclination inl which position .it co-operates with .they closure memberS at: the front end of tilting member 2 to close the entrance-exit 3 lcompletely except that a light'and air opening9 is preferably maintained at all times vabove said auxiliary door 6. The outward and downward'finf clination of said door 6 does not interfere with fowls entering because they step up from the 'ground or from a low/stepl (not shown)' which enables themreadily to crowd up under'swinging door l6 and to raiserthe freev end thereof, as indicated. Auzriliary door 6v lessens the amount of tilting movement of member 2 necessary to control passage of fowls through the entrance-exit opening. y f y kAt the rear end of the casing istheV layers exit opening 14 controlled by the layers exit door '15', tending to fall to open position but being normally held in closed position by catch 16 which forms vpart of pivoted egg-operated device 17. The nest proper 4 has at its rear end an egg-discharge opening or passage 18. When a hen is on the nest her weight overcomes counterbalancing weight 19 located on the other side of trunnions 5 and brings the rear end of thetilting member down thus inclining the nest proper in a manner which favors discharge of the egg therefrom against screen apron 20, Vthus rocking egg-operated device 17 on itspivots 17EL together with catch 16 and permitting exit door 15to fallto open position. VSaid doorl 4hasa screw hook 21 or other catch element which interloclrs with an arm 22 of the tilting member to retain said tilting member withy the rear end thereof depressed wheneverflayersexit door 15 is down, that is in the open position. YWhen a fowl leavesvthe lnest after laying7 she steps upon an angularV treadle portion 23 of door 15, thus restoring said door to the closed position in .which it isnormally retained by the egg-operated catch 16,.which engages stud 15a of said door 15. The body portion of door 15 may consist of a thick board into the edges of which trunnion pins 15b are driven near its upper face and, as seen in Fig. 2, somewhat nearer the lower than the upper end. The treadle 23 may be a thinner board secured to the door at an obtuse angle, so that when it arrests closing movement of the door by engaging doorsill 23a the body portion of the door occupies an inclined position from which it readily falls when released by egg-:operated catch 16.

A cross bar 211 obstructs sufficiently the space above exit door 15 to prevent escape of a fowl when said door is closed, said door then being inclined as shown in Fig. 2.

When the tilting member 2 is made of wood it is preferably constructed vas a trough rectangular in cross-section, having at its rear end a tra-nsverse brace 25 provided with a shield or guard 26 to keep the fowl from stroking the egg-operated element with her tail or otherwise operating the catch 16 and prematurely opening layers exit door 15. A rearwardly extending arm 27 of the tilting member is adapted to contact with pin 15d of door 15 to complete the closure thereof automatically in case the fowl does not completely close said door in passing out through the layers exit.

Within the nest proper is desirably placed burlap or other nesting material 28 supported by a rather coarse screen 29. Near the rear end of the tilting member there is preferably left an uncovered area 28EL to facilitate the discharge of the eggs.'

Guard 26 may have a facing 26a. 2C designates a crosspiece within the tilting member. The trunnions 5 extend into the ends of this crosspiece. Said crosspiece is inclined to present a smooth surface toward the body kof a fowl on the nest.

Referring again to the closure member. 8 at the front end of tilting member 2, this part may have a downwardly extending portion 8a, which is of proper length to abut against the floor o f the casing when the front end ofthe tilting member is fully depressed. Said portion 82L of door 8 forms a guard which prevents fowls from crowding under the fron-t end of the tilting plat-- form when the entrance door 8 is closed.

30 designates a cover which may be -removed to allowY the nest to be cleaned. Then the nests are built into tiers, as is well known in the art, no cover willv be` The auxiliary entrance door 6 is preferably pivoted on a shaft 34 between blocks 35, said blocks serving to restrict the width of the entrance, thus providing an additional safeguard against two fowls' entering at the same time. Said blocks 35 are provided with shoulders 36 to limit the upward movement of closure member 8.

Above the layers exit 14k may be mounted an outwardly swinging guard or auxiliary exit door 37 to keep fowls that have laid from attempting :to re-enter the nest, especially when the main exit door 15 is open, as seen in Fig. 3. Said door 37 is hinged at 38 and is provided with pendant yarms 39 which give an open appearance to the exit to encourage the fowls to pass out thereat after laying.

Operation: A fowl standing on the ground yor other support near the level of the bottom of the casing readily thrusts her head and neck under the auxiliary entra-nce door 6, and as she steps up to enter swings said door 6 up and out, making room for her to enter. When she passes beyond lthe pivotal support 5 of the tilting' member 2, her weight moves the main closure member 8 up until the upper edge thereof substantially meets the lower edge of auxiliary door 6, thus completely closing the entrance exit opening, preventing entrance of another fowl. If'the fowl, without laying an egg,

returns to the entrance-exit opening and attempts to escape by thrusting her head through the space 9 above auxiliary door 6, doing this will bring the weight of her bodyv sufliciently near to the front end of the tilting member to cause that end to descend. She may then withdraw her head and pass out beneath auxiliary door 6.

When a fowl enters theA nest proper and lays an egg therein, the egg rolls downthe inclined nest bottom and, by striking the apron 2O of the egg-operated device thereby withdraws catch 16, thus permit-ting layers exit door 15 to fall to the open posi-tion in which the locking hook 21, having swung up over the end of arm 22 of the tilting member 2 locks said member, making it impossible for the'fowl to depress thevf-ront end thereof and escape through the entrance-exit door. do this, she will pass out the layers exit door, depressing the treadle portion 23 thereof, thus closing said door and at the same time withdrawing locking hook 21' constri-ictedl principally of wood, but theV skilled workman will readily make the indinfr that she cannot' l* s lOO minor changes necessary in `order to substi-V tute Vmetal for wood wherever such may be found desirable.

I claim:

l. In a trap nesta casing having an exit opening and an entrance-exit opening,`-a tilting platform within said casing, said platform being provided with a vertically movable door integral therewith to close said entrance-exit opening sufficiently to prevent passage of fowl therethrough, a pivotal support for said platform, the Weight of said platform with respect to its pivot being such as normally to maintain said entrance-exit vopening passable to fowls and a nest proper on said platform between its pivotal mounting and said exit opening, said platform being operable by the weight of a fowl on said nest to close said entranceexit opening.

2. In a trap nest, a casing havingan entrance opening and an exit opening, a tilting platform operable by the weight of a fowl to close said entrance opening when a fowl passes from said entrance opening along said platform to a point beyond the pivotal mounting thereof, an exit door, an egg-operable device to open said exit door, means whereby said exit door when open locks said platform in the position wherein said entrance opening is maintained closed thereby, and means to automatically close said exit door when the fowl passes out thereat.

3. In a trap nest, a casing having an entrance opening, a door` movable upwardly by the weight of a fowl to lessen the vertical extent of said opening, and` an auxiliary door Vabove the first mentioned door to cooperate therewith to prevent a fowl fiom entering said easing while another is therein.

il. In a trap nest, a casing having an en-V trance openin(r an auxiliary door for said c l opening, a stop upon which said door nora change inally rests at a-downward and outward in-v clination from said casing, and another door below said auxiliary door to co-operate therewith, said lower door being movable up to a position wherein said auxiliary door normally prevents it from *being Vmoved down by fowls attempting to enter.

5. In a trap nest, a casing having an entrance-exist opening, a door movable upwardly to decrease the vertical extent of said opening, therebeing above said entrance opening an auxiliary opening of sufhcient sizev to permit a hen to extend her head therethrough, auxiliary closure means between said openings, and means to open said upwardly movable door, said last named' means functioning when the body of a fowl within said casing is sufficiently near said auxiliary opening to permit her to extend her head therethrough.

6. In a trap nest, a casing having an entrance-exit opening an auxiliary door for said opening, said'door being mounted 4to swing on a substantially horizontal axis, a stop whereon said door normally rests in a downwardly andoutwardly inclined position with respect to said casingVa. maiil door for said entrance-exit opening,.and means yformoviiig said main-door to and from a position wherein said auxiliary door in its'normal position co-operates to completely close said' entrance-exit opening.

7. In a trap nest, an exit door normally tending to move from closed to open position and egg operated means to release said door to open the'same automatically, said door having a treadle portion operable by the fowl to close said door.

l8. In a trap nest, a `casing having an entrance-exit opening, a door movable upwardly to decrease the vertical extent of said opening, there being above said openingan auxiliary opening of suflicient size to permit a hen-to ext-end lier head therethrough, and means to move downwardly said upwardly movable door, said last named means functioning whenever the body of a Vfowl within said casing yis sufficiently near said auxiliary opening to permit her to extend her head therethrough. i

9. Ina trap nest, an entrance-exit door forming part of a tilting member operable by a fowls weight, a nest proper in fixed relation to said tilting member, and an exit door provided with means to engage said tilting member vto lock said entrance-exit door in closed position when said exitl door is open.

position, a catch to normally hold said exit f door closed, and egg-operated means to release said catch, said tilting member being adapted to automatically close said exit door as the fowl leaves the nest.V

12. In a trap nest, a tilting member operable by the weight of afowl, a nest proper in fixed relation to said tilting member, an exit door normally tending to fall to open position, a catch to normally hold said exit door closed, egg-operated means to release said catch, andv means extending .from said .tilting member to engage beneath and lift said'exit door tov closed position.

13. entrance-exit opening, a tilting member one end of which moves up and down adjacent Iii a trap nest, a casing having an? iso .said lopening and a door'carried-bythat ing. from saidl body poi'tion at an'obtuse enJOwSiidv tilting-member to niove'upand angle, means -tonorlnally maintain :said 10 down `therewfdi, said vdoor havingr a downdoor closed with said ybody portionthereof Waidlyextending `portion to guard against at an inclination, and egg-operatedi means fowls '.obstruotingfthedownward movementV to release szi'id door and permiti; ito fall;

thereof. to open'zposition. y

14. Inn trap nest,v an exitdoor having a, body. portion and :la ytiezidie:portion eni'end- ALBERT H. MERRILL'. 

